Fall River police make arrests in Shell robbery

Police have arrested two men who are suspected of robbing a Shell gas station convenience store on Monday night on New Boston Road.

Brian Fraga Herald News Staff Reporter @BfragaHN

FALL RIVER — Police have arrested two men who are suspected of robbing a Shell gas station convenience store on Monday night on New Boston Road.

Donald Oliver, 42, 34 Swindell St., and Ross J. Gould, 41, of 91 Oak Grove Ave., were both ordered held on $25,000 cash bail after being arraigned on Tuesday in Fall River District Court.

Oliver was charged with unarmed robbery and possession of a Class A drug and Gould was charged with armed robbery, according to police reports.

Oliver and Gould are believed to be the men who entered the Shell gas station at 815 New Boston Road around 9:15 p.m. on Monday. Two men — wearing masks over their faces and gloves on their hands — ran into the store, with one suspect jumping over the counter and the other walking behind to the register, prosecutors said.

The assailants ordered the clerk to the ground, stole cigarettes and lottery tickets, and ran from the store to a waiting car nearby, prosecutors said.

A witness described the getaway vehicle as a Ford Mustang with a loud exhaust. Officer Joseph Reed stopped a vehicle matching that description around 10:35 p.m. near the Tedeschi's store at 1237 Pleasant St. Oliver — who matched one the description of one of the robbers in that he was wearing dark pants and sneakers — was driving the vehicle, prosecutors said.

Police traced the alleged getaway vehicle to a Harrison Street residence, where officers found Gould and said he matched the description of the armed assailant who wore blue jeans and an olive-colored shirt. Prosecutors said police found a black ski mask, latex gloves and handcuffs on Gould's person.

Oliver was also detained Tuesday on a probation warrant. Prosecutors said he has a prior armed robbery conviction and has served several years in state prison. A defense attorney said Oliver denies the allegations, while an attorney who argued bail for Gould said the suspects' identifications are "questionable at best."

Meanwhile, police arrested William Medeiros Jr., 48, of 232 Harrison St., and charged him as an accessory after the fact. Medeiros — who is said to have been driving his relative's Ford Mustang — is also accused of taking cigarettes and lottery tickets from Oliver, according to police reports.

Fall River police arrest logs also show that officers investigating the Shell station robbery arrested Selvin Chambers, 21, of 395 Quequehcan St., and charged him with unarmed robbery, possession of a Class A drug and possession of a Class B drug.

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